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History of Girardot

San Miguel, patrono de Girardot

Your first inhabitants were Indian Panches, nomads and warriors of the family Caribbean that you/they accustomed to traffic for the rivers funza or Bogotá, Yuma today Magdalena and Sumapaz they were expert navigating. They used your crafts non alone as half of you transport but like half of survival.

The city began in a place located among those that now are two of the main attractiveness of Girardot, the bridges, Ospina Pérez and the bridge of the Railroad. In a principle it was limited to a primitive port, (around the year 1800) according to the chronicles of not more than twenty houses, to where the passengers were welcomed that they went and they came from a bank to the other one in their march between Cundinamarca and Tolima in the gentleman's Shepherd canoe Montero, "don Shepherd", neighbor of Tocaima. Who the bread was won transporting passengers daily through the majestic current that the aboriginal ones called Yuma, and later centuries, the Spaniards designated with Magdalena's name.

On these beaches taken a bath by a burning sun, the cradle of the city was erected. The river was witness of the population's transformation the one which from the second half of the previous century, from the years 1852 observed as its near flimsy cabins to the bank, you began to transform into village, being climbed to the high of the plan, half-opening an I appear of progress.

The old population for the year of 1880 embraced from San Miguel's square, the boss, up to where you/he/she is located today the Popular Bank. The first fifty years of the village Acacias of Yuma, they flowed without anything extraordinary they were aimed in the progress. The stagnation in this whole lapse of time is attributed to that for those years the whole commercial activity of this region was concentrated in Peñalisa, today Ricaurte, where it had established important factories of tobacco and of indigo and to where the ships that navigated in high Magdalena arrived. The stage of the progress came to loosen with the beginning of the XX century. (toward the years de1900).

Origin of the name of Girardot.

According to the historian's Boy monograph Espinosa, Girardot has received different name from their roots.

When the Spaniards arrive to this place, he/she called himself port of the canoes. In 1776 I take the name of The step of Flanders because the rocky place was very similar to a place of Spain, Chivatera, Parochial District of Girardot, Parish of Depatamento of Guamo, Village of the Department of Ladybug, District of Girardot, (Law of June 3 1848) sent by the Provincial Camera of Tequendama gathered in Juan's Table Díaz; County head, integrated by the municipalities of Girardot, Guataquí, Jerusalem, Nariño Nile and Tocaima, (Law 22 of 1903) sent by the Congress of the Republic; head of he/she would Notice and I Register, 1913, and of Judicial Circuit, law 32 of the year 1907.

Orígen of the lands of the parish.

The learned journalist don Pablo Values Osorio he wanted to go into in the remote origins of the city, and he wrote the following thing, about the historical trajectory of the lands that you/they correspond to the municipality of Girardot; lands that in the time of the Colony, they were part of the enormous one it commends granted January 16 of 1545 to Martin Yañez Tafur, hardened and valiant soldier that exercised the position of Justice bigger than Tocaima, the city of Panchos, and who, as it is fame, when dying, it hardly maintained the indispensable thing to assist his most urgent necessities.

It is the case that in one of the months of the year of 1784, Blas Perdomo and José Daniel acquired for purchase made to the presbítero Luis Antonio Bustamante, according to writing granted in he would Notice it of Tocaima, the whole land that at the moment Girardot occupies, from the denominated place Pubenza until the right band of the river Magdalena.

Later Blas' daughter Perdomo married a last name individual Triana, marriage that was trunk of the family of this same name among whose members José was Triana.

Donation of the lands

February of 1844, 10 the gentlemen José Triana and Ramón Good owners of big properties in this place, of common agreement suited in giving part for public land of a parish the land that largely, it forms the city. In 1847 this surrender it was ratified by the grantees before the literate Judge of the County of Tequendama, being made the legal delivery of the lands, by means of a typical ceremony that took place, more or less, in the place that today occupies the public Slaughterhouse. Five years later, in October of the year of grace of 1852, and being gathered in Juan's Table Díaz the Legislative Assembly of the County of Tequendama, it was sent, the day 9, the ordinance that prepared the creation of the District of Gírardot, made up of the fractions of The Sleeping, Sweet-toothed, Manuel and Flanders. This ordinance entered in validity the first of February of 1853 and as a homage to the memory of Bárbula in the emancipation war, he/she was given to the district the name, of Girardot.

The population's first Alcalde was don Claudio Clavijo, the doctor's father Rodolfo Clavijo, this medical last homoeopath who exercised the profession in this city.

public Instruction and facilities.

The urban first school began to work in the year of 1868. It was created then by the President of the Sovereign State of Cundinamarca, Mister Eustorgio Salgar who designated as director to Mr. Rufino Vargas. As there was not appropriate local it worked in a caney that there was in the same place, where now it is the School Santander (Expensive 8a among streets 7a and 8a). The Night first School was founded in the year 1911 with exclusive destination for the workers. In this same year Ana entered to the teaching Ms. Lucía Reyes, institutora that consecrated most of her life, about 30 years, to the youth's teaching. The first School for males was the Institute Girardot, been founded in October 18 1903 by a Meeting integrated Civic po rivers gentlemen General Paulo Emilio Bustamante, doctor Eugenio Herrán, Felipe Páez, Benjamin Rocha, Samuel Isaács and Uldarico Rocha. It Was Rector D. Ángel María Walls. In 1906 Eufrasio entered to the parsonage of the Institute don C. Moor, competent educator tolimense who made of the facility the most important center of commercial preparation. They were led pupils the politicians, Darío Echandía, Antonio Rocha, Alejandro Bernate and other many. The School Santander, been founded in 1913 and whose Rector was D. Antonio Amézquita, alone it worked 3 years, being closed then. The School of the Presentation, governed by the Reverend Sisters of the Charity, began works in February of 1904. The first printing of the city was given to the service the year of 1903; the typographer brought it Marco A. Gómez and the first day of September of 1906 the first newspaper circulated with the title of "The Effort" under the direction of D. Aníbal Navarrese Villa. The charity was represented by the Hospital San Rafael, in charge to Reverend Hnas. of the Presentation, almost from the beginning of the foundation and to the front of which was the Mother Eufrasia, with four Sisters more.

Service of light and of water.

The electric light was known in Girardot July 30 1906 for don initiative Manuel Núñez, active industrial who with the purpose of assisting to the necessities of its thresher of coffee, it mounted a small plant. Later on December 30 1913 the doctor Hernando Villa inaugurated its service of light and aqueduct until with the population's growth, the North American company, Colombian Company of Electricity offered its services, 1930) May 30 1928 the aqueduct became property of the municipality. The tanks of this aqueduct still last, installed in the neighborhood from Bárbula to suburbs of the call Port of the Diamond. At the present time they are in disuse. A modern one aqueduct has been installed and enlarged. (Current Coca-Cola).

Line of the railroad.

May of 1881, 27 being president of the union, the doctor Rafael Núñez prepared that principle was given to the line of the railroad to whose effect for ordinance executive, was ordered that the Battalion 5° of Line that he/she made the garnish of Ibagué, were denominated 5° of Sappers and he/she moved to Girardot, as body dedicated to the works of the strong line. July 15 were given principle to the works of movement of lands, amid big enthusiasm and of vítores to the peace and progress of Colombia.

later to abbreviate the realization of the work, a contract was made with sr. Francisco J. Cisneros who committed to conclude the itinerary until Tocaima, the one that was given to the service December 21 1883. The first locomotives were named Girardot and Bogotá. For this line the first locomotive arrived to Facatativá February 13 1909.

First bridge

For the year of 1883 it was given to the provisional service the first bridge on the river that had to last until the year of 1963, with a light 75 meters for 3 of wide and an elevation of 12 on the ordinary level of the waters. Their resistance capacity was of 600 kilos for square meter.

Strata that have formed it.

it was of the fluvial sailing

as for communication roads the biggest prestige for Girardot brought it the fluvial sailing. These beaches occupied the first place among High Magdalena's ports and they succeeded in housing until fifty two units of different companies that loosened for the city an era of admirable progress. Years 1886 at 1935. The construction of the highway Cambao 1925 and of the ports Liévano and Salgar that brought near in smaller time to Bogotá, came to produce the collapse of this fluvial sailing.

On the undone jetties the shades of bongos and champagnes wander, of barges and amusing vapors that anchored in the roadsteads. Then the port boiled of actividad:la you load for half republic you crossed in the rústicosdescargaderos and the merchandise filled the insatiable avidity of the cellars. A giant and rhythmic, resistant and tan race aligned in the beach, in the platforms and envelope the planchones. For this generation of laborers that you/they met of all parts with your good endowment of African quarries, era a smiling effort, an infantile acrobatics of your muscles to consider bundles of five you enrapture, encarrar or desencarrar tons of merchandise. On your arms the day and the night they didn't meet rest, since they squeezed the continuous day in uninterrupted shifts. More than 8.000 laborers they shook the port.

The money was plentiful. How the adults remember with nostalgia that time in that the gold with your American eagles or with the English effigies, era average currency and until embarrassing. In the ridge in tas hours of leisure, the pounds and stockings pounds, glowed in the hands of the players of you itch and span. You were the time of the European and Asian immigrations in that the foreign expression of more than twenty nationalities he/she lent to the ambient international port with philosophies and exotic beliefs, voices and procedures of old, specially mercantile cultures. They emulated with this explosion of wealth the longings of pleasure, of I relieve, of free love and intoxication, after the gross and feverish work, or the gallant affairs and waste in the gentlemen or adventurous heathens. The Christian customs almost shipwrecked in this golden vortex and the faith would combat precariously with the liberalism manchesteriano, the lodge, the gentlemen rosacruz and the Protestantism and the pioneers of the communism. They were completed then the picturesque carnivals.

Era of the railroad

Coexistent with this time and later successor. when the sailing disappears, you are the age of the railroad, represented by your legend bridge on the river, the shops of national renown, the rail unions and the birdcalls initiate huelguísticos already in 1919. The city will bend with the quarters of the Fifths. The railroad sent and you were made wait every day. The station, besides being the citadel where machines were assembled or they melted reserves wittily or they were practiced calculations of mechanical discharge, era mainly the hall where you converged the aristocracy and the town that, purified of that port atmosphere, you liked the attentions and fineness of the spirit. While the autoferro appeared, the elegant and sparkling gathering dilatábase in the wait rooms, in the corridors or under the pergolas that aided of the resistero. Today the shops have been transferred Flanders and the station has stopped to be the hall of the city.

air Sailing

For the year of 1918 the air first ships nested on the river, Junkers that left like memory the foundation of the Society German Colombo of Air Transport "SCADTA" been founded in December of 1.919, today known as Avianca. And the creation of the first school of civil aviation. The pictures even project the huts to where they arrived thrown by rails, Junkers, to sleep the night and to get rid of the storms of the great river. This stratum of wings and of helixes it will perpetuate later, when light planes and helicopters arrive in flocks to protect the cottons. Although they don't go down to wet your wings in the river, your to vibrate of peace fans the seeds in the furrows and they clean up them and when the siembra ilímite intoxicates with the dawns surfaces of rice or of cotton, they describe amusing circles on the city, as fugitive gulls of remote masts.

Era of the tourism

Overcome the era of the ferro and the era of the river, the city will be lost sight of land in a social, totally modern activity. From the year of 1932 it aimed the era of the tourism with a clear sense of delightful urbanism. Ampliáronse the streets and to soften the flames that fastened in the vega, sembráronse thousands of trees, locusts, almond trees and lemon trees that extended fresh shade and they would tint of coloring the ridges and avenues. Here it broke the era of the acacios that with your green knifed leaves of red, they would appease the dog days in the suffocating months and they would water with blood vegetable the clean and innocent mornings, and in the luminous nights they would catch the full moons that were broken delightfully among the clusters, as the children's tangled comets in the chamizos.

This vegetation primeriza together with the later thousands, more than twelve thousand, erased the name of the port and you coined the poetic of the "city of the Acacias."

The cattle fairs, already carried out for these years. iniciában also your ascent that must have millionaire heights.

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